Sickle-bar-adjusting means



H. BECKWITH SICKLE BAR ADJUSTING MEANS Filed June 4, -1925 i 4 l. [i u March 9 1926.

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Patented Mar. 9, 19.26.

HARVEY BECKWITH, or' TRACY, CALIFORNIA.

SICKLE-BAR-ADJUSTING MEANS.

Application led June 4, 1&25. Sera1.No.`34,9i59.

To all ywhom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, HARVEY BnonwrTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at rTracy, in the county of San Joaquin and State of California, lhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sickle- Bar-Adjustiug Means; and I do Ideclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same. j

My invention relates to improvements in mowing mechanisms, such as those used on harvesters and ordinary mowing machines, in which a. reciproca-tory sickle bar co-opcrates with ledger plates carried by the guard fingers of a fingerbar. The object of the invention is to yprovide a simple and inexpensive, easily adjusted and eliicient device for holding the knives of the sickle bar tightly against the ledger plates, to insure efficient cutting.

Vith the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a small top plan view of portions of a finger bar and sickle bar, showing 30 the improved adjusting means operatively associated therewith.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the adjusting devices and adjacent portions of the linger bar and sickle bar.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View as indicated byline 3 8 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the fulcrum member to be hereinafter described.

Figure 5 is an edge view of the member shown in Fig. 4.

In the drawing above brieiiy` described, F designates the finger bar of a mowing mechanism, provided with the usual fingers f and ledger plates P. S designates the reciprocatory sickle bar having the well known knives K lying upon and co-operable with the ledger plates P.

In carrying out my invention, l provide a fulcrum member which preferably comdo prises two spaced horizontal feet 1 connected by a short horizontal shaft 2, the latter being elevated above the lower surfaces of said feet. The feet are secured upon the finger bar F, preferably by means of some of the usual bolts AB which secure the lingers f to said bar, and said feet are in most in'- lstances provided with straight front edges 3 to abut the rear edges of the knives K and assist in guiding the latter. Fulcrume'd upon the shaft 2, is a horizontally disposed lever 4 which is preferably composed ofa front section 5 and a rear section 6, secured together by rivets or the like `7 and also preferably having a tongue and groove connection 8. The two lever sections 5 and 6.

are jointly recessed to receive the shaft` 2, and it will be understood that this shaft'is placed in proper position before said lever sections are secured together.

The front end 9 of the lever 4 is adapted to lie upon the knives kK of the sickle `bar to hold them tightly down against thev ledger plates l), while adjusting means for the lever are associated with its rear end,

to force. said front end 9 downwardly with any desired degree of force. 1n the present showing, the rear portion of the lever 4 is provided in its lower side with a recess 10 whose top 11 is forwardly inclined to a slight extent, and in front of this recess, said lower side of the lever is also formed with a socket 11. A notch 12 connects the socket and recess, and another notch 13 leads to said recess through the rear end of the lever.` A shoe 14 is disposed within the recess 10 and in contact with ythe inclined surface 11, .said shoe also contacting with the relatively stationary, subja-` cent, upper surface of the linger bar F. Through this shoe, a longitudinal screw 15 is threaded, said screw being received in the notches 12 and 13 and having a head 16 on its'front end received in the socket 11 to hold said screw against longitudinal movement. The rear end of the screw is provided with a suitable handle 17 by means of which it may be rotated, and in some instances, this handle may serve to lock the Vscrew normally aoainst rotation. By turning the screw in tli proper direction, the shoe 14 is forced rearwardly along the inclined surface 11, causing it to tilt the lever 4, and force the front end 9 downwardly with the desired degree of pressure.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the invention is simple and inexpensive, may be quickly and easily applied, and will be very efficient and desirable. The blades of the sickle bar may be held with the necessary firmness against the ledger plates, but

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when said sickle bar is to be removed for repairing or grinding, the. screw 15,v may be operated'toslide the shoe la forwardly, thus loosening the lever 4, so that it willnot interfere with removal of the sickle har nor with replacement thereof. Obviously, the devices may be used at any desired; intervals along the length of the mowing mechanism.

As excellent results are obtainable from the details disclosed, they may well be followed. 'Howeven within the scope ofthe invention as claimed, numerous modifications may he made. 5

I claim: l Y

`l'. In a mowing mechanism having a iinger bar anda sickle har; a lever extending transversely of said hars and disposed over the latter, means between the ends ofthe lever for fulcruming said lever on said iin- -ger bar, the front end of said lever being in sliding engagement with the upper VVsidev of the sickle har and' the rear portion. orf said lever being provided with a Vslightlyiinclined` downwardly facing surface, shoe contacting with said surface and with the relatively stationary subjacent surface, of the finger bar,`and means for adjustingsaid shoe vtoward the lower end of said' inclined surface to rock the lever,

- 2. In an attachment for la mowing mechanism having a finger bar and a sickle bar;

avfulcrnm member, means rfor mounting the` same on the finger bar, a lever fulcrumed between its ends on said fulcrum memloer and at one of its ends adapted to engage the upper side of the sickle har, the other end portion of said lever having a slightlyinclined downwardly facing surface, a shoe for engagement with said surface and with the relatively stationary suojaclent, surface ofthe linger bar, and adjusting means for y In testimonyk whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature;

" BECKVITH.l 

